Maid for the Mafia by Jaylee

No Matter What

F*ROMANY**

| was rereading my response to Santos' text when a soft knock sounded on the suite door behindand | heard

the door open. Hastily, | put my phone away, expecting to see Alex standing there with murder in his eyes, but

it's not him. It's Damien.. However, he wears the promise of murder just as easily as Alex does as he locks the

door before he stalks toward me.

"Did you have a good time," he asked with a dark chuckle, his navy blue eyes falling overin an intense

perusal.

"I did as a matter of fact," | said defensively, backing into the couch and tumbling onto my ass. "It was a nice

change of scenery." "Scenery?" His perfect lips lift in a half-sneer as he studies me, eyes catching on my neck. "Is

that all you did out there? Enjoy the scenery?" Adjusting my hair self-consciously, | tried to cover the hickies |

knew darkened my throat and shoulders. "Does it matter?" | quipped, annoyed.

Damien shook his head, leaning forward and placing his hands on the back of the couch and trapping my face

between his arms as he glowered at me. "Ruby really had no idea about her baby cousin, did she? She really

thought you were completely innocent. A fucking little angel that she needed to protect. She was just as blind as

I have been."

*Fuck you asshole!* How dare he bring up Ruby to me?! Especially when he thinks she's dead! | open my mouth

to give him a piece of my mind and stop when | catch a big whiff of the air that surrounds him. The smell of

alcohol was wafting off him like cologne and | gasped. *I don't think I've ever seen Damien drunk before.*

"You've been drinking," | snapped, my eyes narrowing.

"So what? | got tired of thinking about all the different objects Mickey probably had you bent over before he sent

you hwithout him," he growled, grabbing my hair away from my neck and then glaring at the offensive skin

beneath. "I see he left his signature all over you. Finally got what he wanted, | guess. Fucking hell. How many are

there?"

| smack his hand away. "Fuck you."

He chuckles, snagging my chin. "Apparently not. It seems I'm the only one though."

"Leavealone," | hissed, turning away from him to glare out the balcony windows. "I'm busy."

"Busy? You mean someone else is already lined up ahead of me? How could that be? You just got here. It can't be

tto open your legs already."

Fury flashes throughat his words and I'm reminded of how he treatswhenever he's jealous. | *hate* the

way he talks towhen he gets this way. "Get out," | said coldly.

He shakes his head. "Suck my dick first. Then I'll leave." *Slap!*

My right hand whipped forward like it had a mind of its own, cracking across his face and sending his head

reeling. "Get out!" | said again.

Unlike Alex, Damien at least had the good sense to look apologetic. He stood back fromwith sadness in his

eyes, clamping them shut as he worked to steady his breath. He was panting. His perfectly sculpted chest flexing

beneath his tight black shirt. "I guess | deserved that," he grumbled, opening his eyes to study me. "Ruby

wanted you uncorrupted. She was afraid Alex would change you. | wanted to stop him, but | guess | just didn't try

hard enough. | should have paid more attention. Shouldn't have let him distractwith all his bullshit."

"Alex didn't do this to me!" | argued. "Stop blaming him. | did this to myself. | should have reported Matthew

back when | had a chance. Maybe | would have stayed in school. Maybe | never would have chere. This is

my fault for being a chicken. A doormat for everyone to stomp on. If | could go back and do it again, with all the

ways that I've changed - | can promise things would be different. | would have stood up for myself."

"Matthew?" Damien whispered. "Your ex? The professor?"

I nodded, my eyes filling with tears, but blinking them back. "He keptas a shell of myself for too long. Now,

it's like I'm free and making up for lost time."

"What if you could go back to school?" Damien asked. "What if there was a way to clear your nand go back?

Would you want to?"

| shook my head. "Not to that school. No. | wouldn't be able to focus with all the gossip flying around about me.

Sure, speople might believe the truth, but most people are happiest when they believe the lies." Damien

sighed, stepping forward once again to kneel down in front of me. "Do you even wantanymore? Or have |

already been completely forgotten?"

*| could never not want you Dreamboat.* "Of course | want you. | just need stto figure things out. I'm

not ready to devote myself to anyone else butright now," | answered, biting my lip. *And... | need to recover

because after last night | am unbelievably sore.*

Damien nodded, standing up. "Okay, baby. I'll let you settle in. Alex wantedto take you down to his office,

but take a few minutes to yourself. I'll cback and get you."

"Thanks," | said honestly, mentally shoving him out the door with my mind on my unsent text message.

Damien walks away slowly then steps toward the exit, stops, and says, "Oh yeah. Just so you know. Enzo is no

longer a threat to you. Alex and | made sure of that this morning. You don't need to be afraid of him anymore."

*Well Hallelujah! But at this particular moment | couldn't care less about that fucken pig.*

Damien leaves silently and | waste no tin locking the door behind him. Falling against it and dropping onto

the floor, | pull my phone back out and hit send.

ME-

| would ask why one night and what you wantfor, but | am willing to do whatever it takes to save my cousin

so that would be pointless. However, I'll need proof that she's alive before | agree to meet you. | want to talk to

her. | need to hear her voice. -Romany

| stare at the phone for a good twenty minutes before | start to give up and put my phone away. It's right then

that | see my message has been read and Santos begins to type his response. RUBY-

The little dots keep flashing then disappearing, flashing then disappearing and | can hardly contain myself. I'm so

nervous.

RUBY-

Hello Miss Dubois. So nice to finally hear from you. | can't let you speak to her, because if she knows that I'm

cutting a deal with you, she'll do whatever she can to fuck it up. I can video call you and let you see her, but |

can't allow you to speak. How does that sound?

I don't even hesitate.

ME-

That's perfect!

RUBY-

Good. First you must be in a place | know isn't being monitored. Go for a swim, take the phone with you. Make

sure you're alone behind the waterfall then text me.

*How the fuck does he know about that spot? Oh yeah, Stella.* Fuck! Alex wants to seefirst. If | jump in the

pool before talking to him, I'll risk him sending someone after me.

ME-

It might take a little while. | have to make sure | won't be disturbed. RUBY-

You have an hour. If you don't textby then, forget the whole thing.

ME-

One hour. Got it.

RUBY-

Perfect. I'll be waiting.

Clutching my phone to my chest, | make quick work of changing into a swimsuit. Then, | pull on a deep pocketed

sundress and stash my phone inside. Finally, | head for Alex's office, ready and willing to do whatever it takes to

soothe the bastard's temper. No matter *what* it might be.

word

word

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